Research

Scientific Publications

The following are all peer-reviewed, scientific publications in respected academic journals. My work has spanned topics including: Disorders of Consciousness (e.g., coma), an emerging form of brain stimulation called Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU), Cognitive Functioning, the Thalamocortical System, Computational Methods, Meditation, and more. Filter by topic or click any node to explore a study in more detail.

RESEARCH FOCUS

My primary interest remains the nature of consciousness and ways that we might manipulate consciousness for the betterment of the human condition. I gained extremely early-access (2017-on) to an emerging form of neuromodulation (i.e., brain stimulation) called Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound (LIFU), which remains the only way to precisely target (mm-scale precision) any brain-region without-surgery, including in healthy human volunteers. As a result, much of my work thus-far has concerned using this new tool as a way to safely modulate human brain-function and the conscious experience it appears to generate–from jump-starting the recovery of consciousness in coma patients to amplifying the effects of Vipassana meditation in expert meditators.

TOTAL CITATIONS OVER TIME

GOOGLE SCHOLAR

MY FIRST-AUTHOR PUBLICATIONS

Projects that I Led: I ran the design, execution, data collection, data analysis, and writing of these studies.

  1. 1st-Author

    2025 · PsyArXiv (preprint, under review)

    Facilitating Meditation with Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation: A First Investigation in Experienced Practitioners

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  2. 1st-Author

    2025 · bioRxiv (preprint, under review)

    Behavioral Effects of Targeting the Central Thalamus and Pulvinar with Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation in Healthy Volunteers

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  3. 1st-Author

    2025 · medRxiv (preprint, under review)

    Neural Correlates of Behavioral Recovery Following Ultrasonic Thalamic Stimulation in Chronic Disorders of Consciousness

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  4. 1st-Author

    2022 · PLOS ONE

    S.M.A.R.T. F.U.S: Surrogate Model of Attenuation and Refraction in Transcranial Focused Ultrasound

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  5. 1st-Author

    2022 · Brain Sciences

    Ultrasonic Deep Brain Neuromodulation in Acute Disorders of Consciousness: A Proof-of-Concept

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  6. 1st-Author

    2021 · Scientific Reports

    Real Time and Delayed Effects of Subcortical Low Intensity Focused Ultrasound

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  7. 1st-Author

    2021 · Brain Stimulation

    Ultrasonic Thalamic Stimulation in Chronic Disorders of Consciousness

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  8. 1st-Author

    2021 · Neurocritical Care

    Mechanisms Underlying Disorders of Consciousness: Bridging Gaps to Move Toward an Integrated Translational Science

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© 2026 Joshua Cain, PhDAll Rights ReservedLast Updated: July 2026